Hi all. I have been a member of this forum since 2011 when I was first diagnosed with PMR. I have not posted for a while as basically I just quietly carried on with the medication and regular blood tests and continued to improve.
Now, according to my GP I am all but cured. Over the past 2 years I have been successfully gradually reducing my steroids, and before Christmas I got down to just 1mg a day dosage and generally feeling well.
Now my GP has instructed me to cease taking the steroids the completely, along with the monthly GP visits and blood tests, which is wonderful! However, during the past couple of weeks I have developed a nasty pain on the side of my left leg right at the top .I have had this pain before during my PMR years, but it is now very troublesome during the night and disturbs my sleep. I am now wondering if it is the PMR returning and that I should go back on the steroids? I would hate to have gone this far with my recovery and it all to have been in vain. However, this pain doesn't actually feel the same as PMR pain, it is more of a dull ache.
Could it be something else and totally unconnected? Do I need to go back to my GP and get another blood test?
Advice on this would be appreciated.
Gilly.
when in doubt see gp it not worth taking a chance carolk
Hi Gilly - you have been hiding haven't you! But it is great to hear you are nearly off pred - have you ever visited the other forum because you will get to join Club Zero over there: the people who have stopped pred for PMR but are around to prove to people it can be done!! It does provide encouragement to the people who are still plodding away.
Several of us have had a similar sort of pain in the top of the thigh and think it is probably trochanteric bursitis (big word for what in knees is housemaid's knee and in elbows tennis elbow). I had it mildly at the beginning of the PMR - it made lying on my side very uncomfortable - and the pain/discomfort can reach right into the hip joint/groin. I had it really badly last summer and eventually had cortisone injections into the hip, the first one wasn't quite enough and I had a second just before Christmas and that seems to have sorted it. It was particularly bad when I needed to walk up a slope and stairs were ■■■■ on earth! It was stopping me doing any exercise at all because as soon as I did any walking it flared up again. It was particularly bad at night, waking me at about 3.30 - not good as I'm useless without a full night's sleep!
As Carol says - always worth mentioning it to the GP. Physios can do some treatments that help I'm told.
Eileen
Hi Gilly
I agree with Eileen it sounds like a trochanteric bursitis. I have the same problem and diagnosed with that. Down to 1/2 mg pred a day now .pain in my hip, down my leg, if I lie on it or press on the area and when I climb stairs. My GP gave me a steroid injection a couple of times which really helped for a few months but it is back so he is going to refer me to a hip specialist rather than my rhuemy consultant. However he has told me to take ibruprofen and paracetamol in the mean time at night which really helps
good luck
Koukla